GA small aircraft pilot lands on taxiway at bfl.

Attributes
ACN	581609
Time
Date	200305
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bfl.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was coming in to land at bfl. I had never been to bakersfield before. I had gotten the ATIS information and contacted the tower about 15 mi north. As instructed by the tower, I reported on a right downwind at midfield. The tower controller cleared me to land on runway 30R. My airplane keeps me pretty busy when getting ready to land. That along with being at an airport that I had not been to before, resulted in me seeing 2 long stretches of concrete in front of me when I rolled out on short final. Since I strongly had runway 30R in my mind and neither strip had familiar markings on it, I landed on the right-most strip. This turned out to be the taxiway right of runway 30R. One of the things that messed me up was that the runway markings for the real runway 30R had been moved way down the real runway, so that I didn't have them in sight. This was a displaced threshold. I was aware of it on downwind, but in the 'heat of the moment' in landing, I'm afraid that I saw only the 2 stretches of concrete. And, with the 'right' so strong in my mind, landed on what I thought was runway 30R. This turned out to be the taxiway for runway 30R. I've talked to my instructor about this and now realize what I should have realized then. That is, to be certain that I see runway markings before landing on something. And to have really studied the airport layout before going to an unfamiliar airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT LANDS ON TXWY AT BFL.

Narrative: I WAS COMING IN TO LAND AT BFL. I HAD NEVER BEEN TO BAKERSFIELD BEFORE. I HAD GOTTEN THE ATIS INFO AND CONTACTED THE TWR ABOUT 15 MI N. AS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR, I RPTED ON A R DOWNWIND AT MIDFIELD. THE TWR CTLR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 30R. MY AIRPLANE KEEPS ME PRETTY BUSY WHEN GETTING READY TO LAND. THAT ALONG WITH BEING AT AN ARPT THAT I HAD NOT BEEN TO BEFORE, RESULTED IN ME SEEING 2 LONG STRETCHES OF CONCRETE IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I ROLLED OUT ON SHORT FINAL. SINCE I STRONGLY HAD RWY 30R IN MY MIND AND NEITHER STRIP HAD FAMILIAR MARKINGS ON IT, I LANDED ON THE RIGHT-MOST STRIP. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE THE TXWY RIGHT OF RWY 30R. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MESSED ME UP WAS THAT THE RWY MARKINGS FOR THE REAL RWY 30R HAD BEEN MOVED WAY DOWN THE REAL RWY, SO THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THEM IN SIGHT. THIS WAS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD. I WAS AWARE OF IT ON DOWNWIND, BUT IN THE 'HEAT OF THE MOMENT' IN LNDG, I'M AFRAID THAT I SAW ONLY THE 2 STRETCHES OF CONCRETE. AND, WITH THE 'R' SO STRONG IN MY MIND, LANDED ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 30R. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE THE TXWY FOR RWY 30R. I'VE TALKED TO MY INSTRUCTOR ABOUT THIS AND NOW REALIZE WHAT I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THEN. THAT IS, TO BE CERTAIN THAT I SEE RWY MARKINGS BEFORE LNDG ON SOMETHING. AND TO HAVE REALLY STUDIED THE ARPT LAYOUT BEFORE GOING TO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.